This invention relates in general to electrical fuses, such as are commonly used in vehicular electrical systems. In particular, this invention relates to an improved structure for a fuse terminal for use in an electrical fuse assembly that has a reduced package size.
Many electrical circuits are provided with electrical fuses, which are well known devices that provide protection from excessive magnitudes of electrical current that may otherwise occur therein. One typical type of fuse includes an elongated central portion that extends between a first end portion and a second end portion. The central portion of the fuse includes an internal member, typically a wire or a relatively thin strip of material, having a first end and a second end that are respectively electrically connected to the first end portion and the second end portion. The internal member, the first end portion, and the second end portion are all formed from an electrically conductive material. As is well known in the art, when the amount of an electrical current that is passed through the fuse exceeds a predetermined magnitude, the wire or relatively thin strip of material becomes heated and melts, thereby interrupting the flow of electrical current therethrough and preventing damage from occurring to the electrical circuit.
Electrical circuits are commonly provided in many types of vehicles to control the operation of various electrical devices and systems therein, and most of such vehicular electrical circuits are provided with fuses as described above. To facilitate the installation and removal of fuses in such vehicular electrical circuits, the fuse is often embodied as a fuse terminal assembly that includes not only the fuse itself, but also a first fuse terminal and a second fuse terminal that are respectively connected to the first end portion and the second end portion of the fuse. The fuse terminals include respective connector portions that are adapted to connect the first end portion and the second end portion of the fuse to respective female receptacles provided in the vehicular electrical circuit.
A variety of fuse terminal assembly structures are known in the art and function effectively. However, it is well known that the amount of physical space in many vehicular electrical circuits is often quite limited. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved structure for a fuse terminal for use with an electrical fuse terminal assembly that has a reduced package size.